Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

Mark chapters 8 and 9 reported two world-shaking events. Peter recognized Jesus as the anointed one, the Messiah. And not long after, Jesus stepped into God’s glory on the mountain, talking with Moses and Elijah. 

After these events, Jesus taught his disciples that he would soon suffer and die. The disciples didn’t believe him. Peter said, “Not so,” and Jesus replied, “Get behind me, Satan” (Mark 8:33). The next time Jesus mentioned suffering and death, his disciples stayed silent. They didn’t pull another Peter, but among themselves, they argued about who would be greatest (Mark 9:33-34). 

This prompted Jesus to make several comments about greatness. 

First, he pointed out that God was planning a Great Reversal. “Whoever is first must be last, must be the servant of all.” he said (Mark 9:35). In the Great Reversal, servants become rulers, the insignificant gain status, and slaves become kings. If you’re following me, Jesus said, don’t count your kingdoms before you are king.

Second, Jesus took a child in his arms and said, “Whoever welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me” (Mark 9:37). The children’s Sunday School teacher is as great as the preacher.  

John, thinking about welcoming children, also thought about who wasn’t welcome. He said, “We saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he’s not one of us” (Mark 9:38). Jesus replied, “You’re making a mistake. Whoever drives out demons or does miracles or even gives a cup of water in my name, is on our side” (Mark 9:39-40). 

Clearly, the disciples needed to expand their view of Jesus followers. Whoever respects the name of Jesus is our ally, whether they are conservative, liberal, or even non-Christians. As Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:40). 

The disciple’s argument about who was greatest didn’t fare well in Jesus’ views about servants and children and outsiders. Continuing his response, Jesus warned against harming children’s faith. He said, if you cause one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better if you swam with pockets full of stones and drowned. If your hand or eye or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off (Mark 9:42-49). 

Wow. The great disciples aren’t permitted even to lord it over children!

And Jesus warned, “Everyone will be salted with fire” (Mark 9:49). Don’t try to climb the corporate ladder of Jesus’ kingdom. Rather, prepare to go through the fire that will strip away sins and false aspirations, and maybe even the self that you love.

Jesus’ final comment to the disciples was, “Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with each other” (Mark 9:50).  You’re a salty, earthy, edgy lot of disciples. But there’s no need to argue about who will be greatest. Be salty with each other, but do it peacefully. 

Let’s pray. 

O father, Jesus tells us that in his kingdom, the first are last and the last are first. 

We are the first. We have studied the scriptures and the life of Jesus, and we have worked out how best to follow him. Surely our efforts have moved us up the corporate ladder. 

But Jesus’ instructions bring us down to earth. Care for the children, don’t think you’re above outsiders who serve him. Attend to the small things. Be a servant, do the dishes, shine the shoes, clean the bathtub, sweep the sidewalk. 

O father, give us wisdom and vision to follow his teaching. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

After Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah on a mountain, a man with a demon possessed son was waiting in the valley. “I asked your disciples to drive out the demon, but they couldn’t,” the man said. 

Jesus sighed and said, “You unbelieving generation. How long shall I put up with you?” (Mark 9:19). 

They brought the boy to Jesus, but the demon threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell down foaming at the mouth. The father said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity and help us.” 

‘“If I can”?’ said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 

The boy’s father said, “I believe. Help my unbelief.” Jesus healed the boy. 

The disciples, just coming off a successful ministry trip of preaching, healing, and casting out demons, asked Jesus, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?” 

Jesus replied, “That kind comes out only by prayer” (Mark 9:29). 

This story repeats several themes Mark has been highlighting in his gospel–lessons that Jesus’ disciples then (and today in 2025) are still slow to learn.  

First, Jesus expressed surprise at how spiritually obtuse the disciples were. “O unbelieving generation,” he said. “How long shall I put up with you?” (Mark 9:19).

Jesus put up with his disciples for three years. I wonder what emotion he was feeling about putting up with them this time. Disappointment? Annoyance? Frustration? I wonder what he feels about me.

Second, Jesus raised the question of faith. “Everything is possible for one who believes,” he said to the boy’s father (Mark 9:23).

Do you believe? Is everything possible for you? If not, what’s your excuse? These are questions I often ask myself. 

A third lesson: desperation trumped proper religious form. The mainline religious leaders argued with the crowd, but could not exorcise the demon (Mark 9:14). Jesus’ disciples were there too, but their faith and spirituality just wasn’t up to the task. 

What touched Jesus was the father’s desperation: “I believe. Help my unbelief!” Jesus accepted how difficult faith can be for humans, he received the father’s pain, and granted his request.

Does this story teach that I need to be more desperate in order to grow in faith? Interesting question, but I don’t see an answer in Mark’s gospel. 

My experience is that sometimes Jesus helps the desperate with a miracle. Sometimes he leads us through desperation to a more stable emotional life. And sometimes he lets us go on being desperate. The lesson I’ve learned is to bring whatever I feel of faith, unbelief, and desperation to Jesus, and wait for his answer.

The last lesson is that, once again, Jesus encouraged the disciples to pray. “This kind of demon comes out only by prayer,” he said. I wonder what was wrong with the disciples’ prayers. Were they praying the wrong prayers? Maybe they didn’t pray enough? Perhaps their prayers lacked fervency and conviction?

Jesus didn’t analyze or correct what was wrong with their prayers. He didn’t give instructions for improving their prayer life. He didn’t tell them how long and how fervently to pray. All he said was, “What you are missing is prayer.” 

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, you often went to quiet places to pray. 

But when others came to you, we see desperation, not quietness. The disciples in the storm prayed, “Master, don’t you care if we drown?” The leper prayed, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” The synagogue leader prayed, “My daughter is dying. Please heal her.” 

O Jesus, when we lead lives of quiet desperation, transform and heal us. When we live lives of quiet comfort, teach us to pray in quiet places, as you did. 

Teach us that everything is possible to those who believe. Teach us that we can cast out entrenched sin and even demons by prayer. Teach us to pray. 

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube

Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.

In Mark 8, Peter made his great confession, saying to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the anointed one!” Jesus responded by telling the disciples he will be rejected and crucified. 

This offended Peter. He thought Jesus was on a trajectory to success, not crucifixion. So he took Jesus aside and said, “No way. God’s anointed one doesn’t get crucified. He becomes king.”

Jesus replied, “Get behind me, Satan! You have no clue what God is doing. You’re speaking from a human perspective” (Mark 8:33). 

Ouch. Whiplash. One moment Peter speaks the revelation of God about who Jesus is, the next moment he’s giving Jesus advice from hell. This is almost as chaotic as American politics.

I present three comments about this story. 

1. The word on the street was that Jesus is Elijah or John the Baptist or a prophet. Until this point in Mark’s gospel, only God and the demons understand who Jesus really is. But finally, finally, a former fisherman clues in and says, “You are the anointed one. You are God’s man at the centre of history.” But two minutes later, Jesus is saying to that man, “Get behind me, Satan.” Did Peter understand or didn’t he? 

2. Peter’s confession comes right after the story of the blind man Jesus healed in stages. He touched the man’s eyes, and the man saw people like trees walking. Then Jesus touched him again, he had 20-20 vision. 

Similarly, when Peter declared Jesus to be the anointed one, he was seeing, but not clearly. He was correct that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, but he sure didn’t comprehend what that meant.

3. This is an interesting glimpse into Peter’s spiritual development. And into mine. 

It’s helpful to get a flash of revelation about who Jesus is, but understanding how this plays out isn’t as easy. One day I see Jesus as the world’s savior, the next day he seems absent from the mess of wars and weather and chaos on earth. Where is God’s anointed one today? What is he doing? 

Let’s pray. 

Our father, you have touched our eyes and we see people like trees walking. We see Jesus on the cross and in the tomb and out of the tomb. But current events don’t seem to change under his kingship. Every day we see social chaos, corrupt kings, and natural and man-made disasters. 

Where is the Jesus who saves from sin and promises heaven? What does it mean for us to be disciples of the anointed one and to enter his kingdom? 

Touch our eyes. Help us lose our expectations for the kind of savior we want. Help us participate in the mission of the one who was crucified, was raised, and will soon return.  

Amen. 

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.  

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube